


Believe In Yourself

by East02End



Category: EastEnders
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23820160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/East02End/pseuds/East02End
Summary: Callum teaches Ben how to cook!For ballumm/givemeattentionpls
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	Believe In Yourself

**Author's Note:**

> You all know I’ve taken a break from writing, but I wanted this to be the first fic I posted when I got back. 
> 
> I wanna see how this goes before I start posting regularly again, I used to post everyday! 
> 
> I’m not gonna lie, the comments I had did hurt and knock my confidence, but this break has done me the world of good, and if all goes well, I might just start writing again and actually enjoy it again. The plot bunny visited me again during my time away and I’ve got another idea for a fic! Not too sure whether I should post it though...
> 
> Anyway, I want to dedicate this to ballumm/givemeattentionpls as you asked for it ages ago! And you have been amazing through all this, having my back and being the best friend. So this is it and I hope it’s not still terrible!
> 
> I also want to thank, every single one of you who have left me such lovely, encouraging comments, it really meant the world to me, that people do enjoy what I write, so thank you!!
> 
> Anyway, must stop waffling... This is for you ballumm/givemeattentionpls!

Callum jumped when Ben dropped down on the sofa, next to him.

“Jeez, Ben, you nearly gave me a heart attack! Don’t do that!”

Ben ignored him, turning Callum’s head from the Tv to face him.

“Right, you know Lexi?”

Callum squinted at Ben, nodding his head in Ben’s hands.

“Are you feeling okay?” Callum frowned.

“I’m great.” Ben grinned.

“Right?? Cos I’m pretty sure I’ve met Lexi at least once in my life...”

“Yeah, I know that! We’ve practically moved in?! Well, I have, she’s here loads of times anyway? I mean her birthday!”

“Yeah? What about it? It’s tomorrow. Don’t tell me you’ve not bought any presents or got her a card?”

“No! Course I remembered?! I want to make Lex a cake for her birthday, like a homemade one this year.”

“Okay?” Callum frowned at Ben, still holding his face in his hands.

“I figured cos your were a chef in the army, you’d know how to make a cake??”

“Course I do.”

“But I don’t know how...” Ben winced.

Callum smiled at Ben, looking embarrassed.

“I’ll help. We’ll do it together.” 

“Really?!” Ben grinned.

“Yeah, course I will! Can’t say no to you can I?”

“Nope.” Ben smiled at Callum, jumping up from the sofa pressing a kiss to Callum’s forehead. “Your a star, gonna go get some stuff for it.”

Callum watched Ben grab his coat, dashing away out the front door. 

“Three, two, one...” Callum whispered to himself. 

On cue, Ben walked back in, sitting next to Callum. 

“What am I meant to buy, Cal?”

Callum grinned at Ben, pressing a kiss to his lips.

“What?” Ben frowned.

“Nothing. I just know you.” Callum chuckled, knowing Ben would come straight back and not know what he needed. 

“Okay??” Ben frowned at Callum, watching him write a list. 

“Do you want me to come?” Callum asked still writing down.

“Err, no, you’ve got your comfies on, you stay there and relax.”

Callum nodded, smiling to himself. Ben always made sure Callum was happy and comfortable. All he wanted was for Callum to be happy.

“Sure?” He asked anyway, giving the list to Ben. 

Ben nodded slowly, Callum watching him frowning at it.

“Self raising flour? What’s the difference between normal flour??” 

“Clues in the title. Don’t wanna flat cake do ya?” Callum chuckled.

“Oh...”

“Do you just want me to go?”

“No!” Ben stood back up, shoving the paper in his pocket. “Your happy there, so just stay there.”

“I’d be happier if you weren’t stressing.” 

Ben smiled at Callum, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I just want it to be perfect for Lexi.”

“It will be.” Callum nodded quickly. 

“Right, imma go now, cos you know I’ll be all day in there trying to decide if you’d buy it or not!”

“I did offer...”

“I know, I know. You just look comfy there.” Ben smiled, leaning down and pressing another kiss to Callum’s lips. 

“Very.” Calum whispered, kissing him again. 

Ben grinned at Callum, lightly holding the side of Callum’s face and pressing small kisses to his mouth. 

“Go on!” Callum smiled, pulling away.

Ben huffed, pressing another kiss to his lips. “You always distract me...” 

“Lex won’t get a cake...” Callum whispered. 

Ben sighed, pressing one last kiss to his mouth, heading out, that seeming to make him go. 

~*~

“Blimey, Ben, you’ve been gone nearly an hour!”

“I couldn’t pick between stuff! But I think I got it all?”

“Think?” Callum squinted. 

“Yes! Think, Cal?! I don’t know what I’m doing, I told you!”

“I did offer to come?!”

Ben huffed heading to the kitchen, Callum following. 

“What do we do then??” Ben frowned. 

“You make it, she’s your daughter? I’ll help instead.”

“Your like a dad to her, Cal, she adores you.”

“I’ve done this loads of times and you haven’t. I thought you wanted to learn?”

“I do! Just cos your not biological, you are Lexi’s dad? Got it?”

“Yes! Now come on, she’ll be 18 by the time you finish! Just pour the flour in there, slowly or it’ll just go everywhere.”

Ben nodded turning back to the bowl. 

“You’ve got this.” Callum smiled at Ben just staring at everything laid out in the countertop looking terrified. 

Ben poured the flour in way too fast, most of it clouding up and ending up on his face.

“Argh?! For fucks sake!”

Ben glared at Callum, laughing to himself, sitting in the countertop.

“It’s not funny!” Ben huffed, trying to wipe it off his face. 

Callum jumped down, crossing over to him, wiping his face down for him. 

“Your a muppet, Ben.” Callum chuckled. 

“I can’t even pour flour into a bowl, Cal!”

“Only cos you did it too fast?! I did say go slow? You’ll be fine once you get going.”

“Remember saying that to you once.” Ben grinned. 

Callum smiled at Ben, smoothing his thumb across Ben’s cheeks, wiping the flour off.

“And now look at us, you learning to cook with me and making Lex a cake.”

“Yeah, I’m glad I annoyed you at the start, wouldn’t be here otherwise.” Ben grinned. 

“You still are...” Callum whispered, wiping Ben’s floury nose with his thumb.

“You love me really.” Ben chuckled. 

“Yes I do.” Callum smiled, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Now, come on, get to it. You just got to put all the stuff together, you’ll find it easy once you’ve done it a few times.” Callum hopped back on the countertop, watching Ben. 

“A pinch of salt. Right? Who puts salt in a cake??”

“All cakes have salt in, Ben? Your doing great.” Callum encouraged. 

“This much??” Ben frowned. 

“That’s like a handful, Ben, we’ll be dead if we eat that?! Or give us a heart attack!!”

“Argh! I can’t do it!” Ben moaned, 

“You can! You just gotta practice. Put a bit back and stick the rest in. I’m telling you, Ben, she’ll love it.”

Ben did as Callum said, shrugging. 

“Yeah, if she doesn’t taste how shit it is...”

“It’s not gonna be shit! It’s gonna be the best cake ever?”

Callum jumped down, standing next to Ben. 

“Ever??” Ben raised his eyes at Callum.

“Okay, fine, maybe not ever? But she’ll love it because you made it! Right, now you gotta marble it all together. Mix it up, then all you gotta do is put it in the oven? I told you, you could do it.”

“Marble?? What the fuck, Cal, don’t you just stir the bloody thing in a circle??” Ben cried.

“No, it’s gotta be like folded in. Air bubbles?? They’ll get stuck if you stir it in and then the cake will look weird.”

“For crying out loud, Cal, I have no clue why you understand this gibberish.”

“You will. A figure of eight then, like this.”

Callum smiled at Ben, Ben frowning, watching Callum demonstrate. Like that.” Ben nodded, taking the spoon from Callum, attempting to copy him. 

Callum cocked his head to the side, watching Ben. 

“What now?!?!” Ben cried, noticing his expression. 

“That’s like an ‘S’??” Callum started. 

“I can’t do it?! Why’s it so technical?! Can’t you just stir the damn thing and stick it in the oven?!” Ben groaned chucking the spoon on the side. “You do it. I may as well buy a cake from the shop, Lexi hates me anyway?!” Ben crossed the room to the sofa, throwing himself down on it. 

Callum sighed, following Ben and sitting down next to him, holding his hands. 

“She does not hate you, Ben.”

“I just wanted to do something special...” He whispered. 

“It is special. Come on, don’t give up, she’ll be so happy knowing you made it.”

Ben sighed looking at his lap. “I can’t do it?”

“You can do it, Ben. I know you can. Your just working yourself up cos you want it to be perfect. Please come and help me?”

Ben shrugged, watching Callum stroke his hands slowly with his thumbs, trying to soothe him. 

“But it’s gonna taste horrible, it’ll look horrible and then Lexi will be so disappointed?”

Callum turned Ben’s head gently to look at him, Ben immediately leaning into his hand. 

“It will be special, I promise you. And she’s gonna love it, I promise you that too. Your already doing an amazing job, believe in yourself, like I do?”

Ben smiled at Callum, squeezing his hand in his own. 

“I’m gonna get this marbling thingy right even if it takes me all day.”

“That’s the spirit.” Callum grinned, stroking his cheek lightly. “Now you’ve had your little strop, you’ll be fine. Your not gonna get it the first time, but I’ll keep helping you until you can make loads of cakes.”

“I did not strop?!” Ben huffed, holding Callum’s hand as he followed him to the kitchen. 

“Just a little bit.” Callum whispered, smiling at Ben trying again. “See? You got it.”

“Really? Or you just saying that?”

“Nope. Your doing it right, Ben. Told you, you just need to believe in yourself.” 

Ben grinned at Callum, as he sat back on the countertop watching Ben doing most of it himself now, Callum only giving him a few pointers. 

“You can cook me chicken pasta now, you can cook.” Callum smiled. 

“This is a cake, Cal?! I won’t be able to do that?!”

Callum raised his eye at Ben, Ben rolling his eyes. 

“Course I will, babe.” Ben overly smiled. 

Callum nodded at Ben, satisfied. 

“I’ll teach you everything.” Callum grinned. 

“Gotta be warned, it’s like actual chicken, I might kill you?” Ben winced. 

“At least, I’ll die happy.” Callum smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Now, just to let you all know I’m not coming back, I just want this to be the last one I posted.


End file.
